We finally had a regular week in 1-Bu last week, so we were able to get a lot done in the classroom. At the bottom of this post, there are some pictures of us doing work in the classroom. Here's what we've been working on:
Reading : Last week, we finished up our Schema and Connections Unit by discussing text-to-world connections. As I mentioned last week, these are often quite tricky, as the students don't have much historical or current events background, so don't worry if your child cannot make these types of connections. When you read with your child, as him/her what a book reminds him/her of. Text-to-self connections are great if that's all your child can think of at this point.
This week, we're going to go back and review some things that we've already learned this year, so that we can sharpen up our skills. We'll cover everything from reading fluently, to retelling, to working on gaining reading stamina. Please encourage your child to keep reading over the February break!
Writing : I hope you enjoyed seeing your child's 'How-To' book last week. This week, we're refocusing on small moment stories (or writing about a small moment in time about something that has happened to us). Once we get used to this writing style again, we're going to start a new writing unit that focuses on making our writing easy to read. This unit will cover everything from conventions, like using neat handwriting and using proper spacing between words and capital letters, to making sure that our writing makes sense.
Math : Learning about function machines took up a lot of time in the classroom last week. Please continue to work on these sorts of problems at home. This week, the students will be taking mid-year math assessments in order to measure their growth and progress since the beginning of the year.
Theme Study : As your child to tell you about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, or Ruby Bridges. They might need a few hints that Rosa Parks had something to do with the buses and Ruby Bridges had to do with the white schools, but they're learned a lot! Many of them really enjoyed learning about Michael Jordan as a young child growing up, too. Ask your child why Michael Jordan's mom put salt in his shoes. (It's because he thought it would make him grow taller.) We're also read fiction stories that deal with issues of race and inequality. Ask your child about Amazing Grace or Grace for President.
This week we'll continue learning about some important black figures in American history. Towards the end of the week, we'll learn a little bit about the background of why we celebrate Presidents' Day.
Odds and Ends : Keep in mind that there is no school February 20-24th.
Here are some pictures of us sharing our writing with each other and playing math games last week: